Attack [Blu-ray]

Director: Robert Aldrich Robert Aldrich

Overview

It is easy to see why the US Army refused to cooperate in the production of Attack. Based on the Norman Brooks play The Fragile Fox, this searing war film is a powerful indictment against a military system which protects even its most incompetent of officers. Eddie Albert plays a posturing but hopelessly inept infantry captain, whose misdeeds are covered up by his colonel Lee Marvin. Albert has strong political connections in the US, and Marvin hopes to take advantage of this after the war. Lieutenant Jack Palance has sworn to kill Albert with his bare hands if the officer bungles another mission. Albert orders Palance and his men into an untenable position on the battlefields of Belgium--and then, true to character, is too cowardly to send backup troops, leaving Palance's men to their fate. By sheer strength of will, Palance, whose arm has been shattered by an enemy tank, drags himself to the cellar where Albert is billeted and attempts to rid the world of the terror-stricken captain. Palance dies before he can keep his promise, but when the craven Albert makes an effort to surrender himself and his men to the Germans, he is shot down by lieutenant William Smithers. The rest of the men conspire to cover up Smithers' "crime" by claiming that Albert died from enemy fire, but Smithers proves to be less willing to prevaricate than his fellow soldiers. Though most filmgoers are mesmerized by Eddie Albert's virtuoso performance as a snivelling yellow-belly, director Robert Aldrich claimed that Albert gave his best reading during rehearsals, and that what ended up on film was nowhere near as powerful as it might have been.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/01/2020
UPC:	0738329251642
Original Release:	1956
Rating:	NR
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W]
Language:	English
Time:	1:47:00
Sales rank:	26,012

Special Features

Theatrical Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jack Palance	Lieutenant Joe Costa
Eddie Albert	Capt. Erskine Cooney
Lee Marvin	Col. Bartlett
Richard Jaeckel	Pvt. Snowden
Robert Strauss	Pvt. Bernstein
Buddy Ebsen	Sgt. Tolliver
William Smithers	Lt. Woodruff
Jon Shepodd	Cpl. Jackson
James Goodwin	Pvt. Ricks,Pfc. Ricks
Steven Geray	Short German,Actor
Peter Van Eyck	Tall German
Louis Mercier	Old Frenchman
Strother Martin	Sgt. Ingersol
Jud Taylor	Actor
Henry Rowland	German with Binoculars
Mike Ragan	GI with Binoculars
Ron McNeil	Pfc. Jones
Leonard Bremen	Mess Sergeant
Bing Russell	Medic
Frank De Vol	Composer

Technical Credits

Norman Brooks

James Poe

Robert Aldrich	Director,Producer
Norman Brooks	Screenwriter
James Poe	Screenwriter
Walter Blake	Producer
Robert Reich	Sound Effects
Jack Solomon	Sound Effects
Jack R. Berne	Producer